Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies Volume 22 Article 20 January 2009 Book Review: "Kurisumala: Francis Mahieu Acharya--A Pioneer of Christian Monasticism in India" Edward T. Ulrich Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Ulrich, Edward T. (2009) "Book Review: "Kurisumala: Francis Mahieu Acharya--A Pioneer of Christian Monasticism in India"," Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies: Vol. 22, Article 20. Available at: https://doi.org/10.7825/2164-6279.1447 The Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies is a publication of the Society for Hindu-Christian Studies. The digital version is made available by Digital Commons @ Butler University. For questions about the Journal or the Society, please contact [email protected]. For more information about Digital Commons @ Butler University, please contact [email protected]. -1' Ulrich: Book Review: "Kurisumala: Francis Mahieu Acharya--A Pioneer of Christian Monasticism in India" Book Reviews 61 The similarities between Yajfia and the Brahman (brahmayajfia) alongside the liturgy of Eucharist become obvious in the Vedic five the Word. great daily sacrifices (paika-mahayajfia). Originally written as a doctoral dissertation Praseed is at his comparative best in Chapter presented to the Institute of Pastoral Liturgy, Seven of the book where he holds sacrifice to Abbey of St. Justine, Padua (under the author's the gods (devayajfia) alongside the Eucharist as old name George Padinjattukara Varkey), the sacrifice to God the Father; sacrifice to the dead book is both insightful and informative even if (pitryajfia) alongside the offering of the somewhat wordy and repetitive. Praseed quotes Eucharist for the dead; sacrifice to all living profusely from theologians past and present, and beings (bhutayajfia) alongside the intercession provides a useful glossary and a bibliography. for the well-being of all in the Eucharist; sacrifice to human beings (nryajfia) alongside Swami Tyagananda the Eucharist as the agapic meal; and sacrifice to Harvard University Kurisumala: Francis Mahieu Acharya-A Pioneer of Christian Monasticism in India. Marthe Mahieu-De Praetere. Trans. by Susan Van Winkle. Kalamazoo, Mich.: Cistercian Publications, 2007, xv + 394 pp. WESTERN scholars of the contemporary four years later by entering the monastery of Our Hindu-Christian encounter are familiar with the Lady of Scourmont in Chimay, where he towering figures, Swami Abhishiktananda and .followed a very asceticallifestyle. In the coming Bede Griffiths, and with their institution, decades he nurtured an interest in Indian Shantivanam Ashram. Much less is commonly spirituality and gained permission in 1955 from known among scholars about their one-time his superiors to move to India. There he joined confrere, Francis Acharya (1912-2002). Acharya Jules Monchanin and Swami Abhishiktananda at and Griffiths had together founded Kurisumala Shantivanam Ashram, which had been Ashram, an institution that is strong and thriving established four years earlier. Mahieu was today, so it is surprising that Acharya is nof fascinated by their project of integrating better known. However, this situation may soon Christian monasticism with Indian culture. change, for Acharya's niece, Marthe Mahieu-De Acharya's interests quickly moved away Praetere, has written the first biography of him. from Shantivanam. Soon after his arrival in It was first published in Belgium·in 2001 and an India in 1955 he met Raimundo Panikkar, who English translation was published in 2008. introduced him to Bishop Rene Feuga of Francis Acharya was born as Jean Mahieu to Mysore. The bishop, in turn, introduced Acharya a wealthy, Catholic family in Ypres. The young to some of the thriving Christian communities of Mahieu could have had a very successful career Kerala. Acharya was deeply enchanted by the in his father's Union Factory, but he had a life vibrant community life and the Syriac liturgies changing experience in 1931 while he was' a he encountered, versions of which had been student in England. He caught sight of Gandhi celebrated in India since the earliest eras of on the latter's famous visit to London and was church history (139-42). Acharya had a great impressed by the man's display of simplicity love of the early Christian theologians of the before the pomp of the British Empire. He East, and the Syriac liturgy was a living link to stated, "For me, it was the victory of a man who that world (82, 98). Further, he was disappointed incarnated poverty. It was the epiphany of a that Shantivanam was failing to attract new purely spiritual power and I dreamt of following members and to build a strong community life. the same path" (22). Mahieu dismayed his father Acharya hence resolved to found a monastery in Published by Digital Commons @ Butler University, 2009 1 Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies, Vol. 22 [2009], Art. 20 62 Book Reviews Kerala which would focus on the Syriac liturgy extensively . about the issues that arise when and which would draw on the local Christian Advaita and Christian faith encounter each communities for membership (136, 141-42). He other. Further, much of the Hindu-Christian pooled efforts with Bede Griffiths and two encounter at Kurisumala is on the level of prayer Indians, Sylvester and Vargheese, and founded and contemplation, rather than on the levels of Kurisumala Ashram in 1958 near Vagaman in theoretical formulations and historical the Western Ghats (162-63).1 Acharya and his happenings, both of which can more easily be community successfully struggled to develop a written about. Still, the lives of Jules monastery, farm, and thriving community in an Monchanin, Swami Abhishiktananda, Raimundo area that had originally been very sparse and Panikkar, Bede Griffiths, and Francis' Acharya technologically undeveloped. are intertwined, and the latter deserves far more Kurisumala Ashram focuses on Hindu­ study and attention by scholars. Christian dialogue in several ways. To begin, Mahieu-De Praetere's biography is the first like Shantivanam, it meshes many customs and book to widely disseminate information about practices of Hindu monasticism with the Acharya's life, and it gives a wealth of valuable Benedictine monasticism of the Christian West. information. However, it is problematic in Further, it extends hospitality to Hindus. For scholarly terms. To begin, verifiable historical instance, a "Swami Dharmananda" lived there facts are meshed together with a narrative or from 1969 until settling in the Himalayas in story-telling style, making the reader wonder 1976, and it maintains good relations with the about fact and conjecture. For instance, the book Ramakrishna Ashram in Pala (264). In addition, gives lengthy verbatim conversations, some the monastery has long had daily sessions of going back to the 1930s, with no citations. Also, satsang, in which Hindu and Christian texts may large amounts of other information are given be alternatively read in a prayerful manner. with minimal citation, making the reader wonder Also, in 1972 the Ashram adopted for daily use about fact and conjecture. The author states that the Bharatiya Puja or Indian Rite Mass which she relied on a wide variety of documents, had been developed earlier in Bangalore (261- correspondence, and interviews and that 63). However, Acharya's most distinctive Acharya "checked the text word by word" (ix). scholarly contribution, which has received much This book has many flaws, but if it promotes acclaim from scholars, was a translation of the further. research it will have played a valuable Penqitho, which contains the daily monastic role. prayers of the Syriac Antiochene Rite. He adapted the Penqitho for daily use at Notes Kurisumala, publishing it as Prayer with the 1 Griffiths had arrived in India in 1955 and would Harp of the Spirit and interspersing select Hindu depart Kurisumala in 1968 to take charge of prayers among the Christian prayers.3 Shantivanam, after Abhishiktananda's departure from Given that Kurisumala Ashram is there to settle in the Himalayas. 2 Swami Vamadevananda' of the Ramakrishna flourishing today, and that many in the Syrian Mission formally received Acharya's biography at a churches of Kerala are very proud of it, it is celebration of its release at Anugraha Renewal Center surprising that the institution is not better known in Kottayam in 2008. among Western scholars of Hindu-Christian 3 See, for instance, Robert Taft, The Liturgy ofthe . dialogue. The reason might be that some of Hours in East and West: The Origins of the Divine Acharya's main achievements, such as Office and Its Meaning for Today (Collegeville: translating the Penqitho and establishing its Liturgical Press, 1986),246. usage at Kurisumala, were contributions operating mainly within the domain of Christian Edward T. Ulrich spirituality. In contrast, Bede Griffiths and University of St. Th?mas Swami Abhishiktananda were more directly involved with Hindu spirituality and wrote https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs/vol22/iss1/20 DOI: 10.7825/2164-6279.1447 2.